The Honor Code

The students of Haverford College bear a great deal of responsibility for self-governance, both academically and socially. The clearest example of the trust placed in the students by Haverford's faculty and administration is the Honor Code— one of the oldest in the country, and one of a very few with a social dimension.

The Honor Code must be ratified each year by students in a college-wide Plenary during which students address current issues or concerns and may make amendments to the Code. The Honor Code appeals to individuals’ needs to confront problems or disagreements, to maintain academic standards, and to uphold the College’s central tenets of honesty, integrity, trust, understanding, and respect. In the academic context, the Code engenders an immediate sense of trust and colleagueship between students and faculty — students often take tests without proctors and schedule times their own final examinations.

In the social setting, the Honor Code makes possible a climate of trust, concern, and respect, which produces a campus atmosphere conducive to learning and personal development. The College does not have as many formal rules or as much formal supervision of undergraduates as most other colleges; rather, it offers an opportunity for students to govern their affairs and conduct themselves with respect and concern for others. For many, the Code resonates beyond graduation; some alums model their businesses or corporate practices on the Honor Code.

Students take on major responsibilities at Haverford, and student government is taken very seriously. Students are full members on every standing committee on campus, including search committees for new professors and senior-level administrators, as well as the College’s Educational Policy, Academic Standing, and Faculty Admission Committees. Decisions in these committee meetings are made by consensus, so students, as full committee members, have considerable influence.

The two student governing bodies, Honor Council and Students’ Council, oversee two of the most important components of life at Haverford: the Honor Code and student activities.  Each year, the students elect representatives to those two organizations.

Honor Council promotes awareness of the Code on campus and resolves questions, issues, and disputes concerning the Code. Students’ Council sends a representative to Board of Managers’ meetings and is in regular contact with senior administration. Students’ Council controls a budget of well over $350,000, from which it allocates funds for student organizations and activities.